Have you seen that photo of Pope Francis looking dope in a white jacket? That’s from Midjourney, an AI image generator.
People worldwide have been praising the religious leader in his immaculate ensemble. In response, various sources have debunked it, from The Verge to the Italian government.
It shows that artificial intelligence is advancing faster than ever. More importantly, it proves Bill Gates’ claim that “The Age of AI has Begun.”
How can people tell the Pope’s AI image is fake?
Photo Credit: globalnews.ca
The Verge writer James Vincent explained why the Papal AI picture was not legit. First, he specified it was posted on the Midjourney forum on Reddit along with three alternatives.
Midjourney creates four images based on user prompts. Second, Vincent pointed out the telltale signs of AI generation.
He noted numerous smeared or blurry spots on the image. Look closely, and you will notice the crucifix necklace does not have right angles.
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The edge of the Pope’s glasses seems to transition into its shadow. Also, Pope Francis’ right hand looks awkward holding a weird coffee cup.
Why did the Pope AI image go viral?
The AI-generated picture looks real at first glance, but you can spot it’s fake by looking closely. Yet, there are other reasons why it became viral.
First, people know Pope Francis sometimes wears stylish clothes, according to journalist Ryan Broderick.
“My theory as to why it’s fooling so many (myself initially included) is that the pope aesthetically exists in the same uncanny valley as most AI art,” Broderick added.
Trend forecaster Ayesha Siddiqi noted the strong association between Italian fashion and the bishop of Rome.
As a result, the Vatican had to debunk rumors that the Pope wears designer shoes. Second, the Pope is a celebrity, making it easier to believe unbelievable photos of him.
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Google Trends showed a sharp uptick in searches for Pope Francis shortly after the AI images went viral. One tweet with the Pope AI image had over 25,000 retweets on Monday afternoon.
Conclusion
A photo of Pope Francis wearing a stylish white coat became viral. In response, numerous sources have debunked its authenticity.
More importantly, it shows that the AI revolution is here and expanding quicker than everyone thought. We must be more vigilant than ever when getting online information.
In response, you should prepare by keeping up with the latest digital trends from reliable sources like Inquirer Tech.